Best Actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh appears to take a swipe at CNN’s Don Lemon

Michelle Yeoh on Sunday night used her acceptance speech to launch what appeared to be an attack on Don Lemon, declaring: ‘Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you’re ever past your prime.’ 

The remark seemed to be a reference to the CNN anchor, who on February 16 said Nikki Haley, the 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate, ‘isn’t in her prime’. 

Lemon’s words sparked immediate uproar, with his co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins looking shocked and Lemon then absenting himself from the next few shows and grovelingly apologizing to staff in an emergency conference call.

‘A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s,’ said Lemon, to the visible dismay of his co-anchors. 

He refused to back down after Harlow questioned his remarks, telling her to ‘look it up.’ 

Michelle Yeoh used her Best Actress speech to seemingly condemn Don Lemon for his remarks about a woman’s ‘prime’

Yeoh cheers as she takes the stage to deliver her Oscars acceptance speech

Don Lemon is seen on February 16 discussing Nikki Haley’s call for ‘mental competency tests’. Lemon said Haley, 51, was ‘not in her prime’

Malaysian-born Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress award.

‘For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities,’ she said.

‘This is proof. Dream big. And dreams do come true.

‘And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.’

She went on to thank the cast and crew of Everything Everywhere All At Once, and dedicate the award to her mother, who was watching at home in Malaysia. 

Social media immediately lit up with reaction to Yeoh’s comments.

‘Michelle Yeoh calling out CNN’s Don Lemon was not on my Oscar bingo card,’ tweeted Netflix writer P.T. Philben.

Another Twitter user commented: ‘don lemon did you hear what michelle yeoh said? #oscars’

Former journalist Megan Murphy tweeted: ‘Lololol @DonLemon just got his ass handed to him to by Michelle Yeoh. So deserved. Lol.’